[from Walsh] The earliest written records of Rus seem to date from the 11th
century. The most authoritative, complete and earliest of the
Chronicles to have survived is The Lavrentyesky Spisok, dating
from 1377 and so called after the Monk Lawrence who copied it,
The second oldest is called Ipatsky Spisok, after the Ipatsky
Monastery where it was found. The main part of both these Chronicles is an historical compilation, "The Tale of By-gone
Years" which was long thought to be the work of the Monk
Nestor and was known as The Chronicle of Nestor. It is
now generally held to be a compilation of the work of many men.

THE BEGINNINGS. Let us begin our story. After the flood the three
chi1dren of Noah: Sem, Cham, and Japhat divided the world among
them. Sem occupied the East: Cham, the middle part; and Japhat
received the North and the Southwest. In the portion belonging
to Japhat there lived the Russian, the Chuder,, and many other
people.

After the fall of the tower of Babel and the confusion of tongues,
the sons of Japhat occupied the countries of the West and North.
From the descendants of Jjaphat came those who took the name of
Slavs. They established themselves near the Danube in the countries
of the Egri and the Bulgars. Some of these Slavs were scattered
over the earth, and they have taken the names of those places
where they established themselves, for example, those who populated
the frontiers of Moravia call themselves Moravians; others, Czechs.
The Serbs and the Kroats are also Slavs. Among those Slavs who
lived along the Dnieper, some took the name of Poles, others that
of Dreviliens (because they lived in the forest) others that of
Dregovich (who established themselves between the Pripet and the
Dvina) thus the language of the Slavs was dispersed. As to the
alphabet, that was not born until later.

THE ANCIENT ROAD. There is a road which runs from Varangia to
Greece, and another which goes from Greece to the Lovat; and one
which returns from the Lovat by a route across the Great Lake
Ilmen. From this [inland] sea flows the Volkhov which enters into
the great lake of the Neva. The Neva empties into the Sea of the
Varangians [the Baltic]. From this sea one can go to Rome and
from Rome, also by sea, even to Constantinople. From Constantinople,
one can go by way of the Black Sea into which flows the River
Dnieper. The Dnieper rises in the forests of Volkhov and flows
to the south; while the Dvina which has its source in the same
forests flows to the north and empties into the Varangian Sea;
from these same forests, the Volga flows to the west. From this
sea one can go from Russia to Bulgaria by way of the Volga; to
Varangia by wayof the Dvina; from the Varangians to Rome, and
from Rome to the farthermost possessions of Chain. The Dnieper
with its three mouths empties into the Black Sea, which is called
the Sea of the Russians.

THE THREE PRINCES. During the years 6386, 6369, and 6370, [from
860-862] the Varangians crossed the Sea. This time the people
who had already submitted to them refused to pay them tribute
longer, and wished to govern themselves, but there was no sense
of justice among them. One family raised itself against the others,
and this foolishness brought frequent disaster. They therefore
decided among themselves, "Let us seek a Prince who will
govern us and who will give us justice." In order to find
him, the Slavs crossed the Sea and sought him among the Varangians.
The Chudes, the Slavs, the Krivichs and other peoples together
spoke thus to the princes of Varangia: "Our country is large
and has everything in abundance except that we lack order and
justice; come take possession and govern us." Three Varangian
brothers together with their families went, in effect, to occupy
Slavonia. They settled among the Slavs, and in the country they
built the city of Ladoga. The eldest of the three, Rurik, set
up his residence along the banks of the river of that name. The
second, Sineous, set up his house in the regions of the Blanc.
The third, Trouvor, at Isbosk. That part of Russia was later called
Novgorod by the Varangians, but the residents of that country,
before the arrival of Rurik, had been known only by the name of
Slavs.

There were among the Varangians, two men, Askold and Dir, who
were not of the royal family but were important nobles. Without
the King's permission, they left with some of their companions
and went into the countryside and penetrated along the Dnieper
even to Constantinople. Along the way they discovered a city situated
on a mountain and they asked, "Whose city is that?"
The response was made, "It belonged once to three brothers,
Kii, Shchechek, and Choriv, who built it, but actually we who
live there pay tribute to the Khazars." Askold and Dir then
conquered the city and established themselves there, attracting
to them a large number of the Varangians.

THE YEAR 6496 [988]. The Grand Prince Vladimir having, according
to the ancient chroniclers, studied all sorts of religions, determined
upon the adoption of Christianity. He was perhaps helped to this
decision by his desire to marry a Greek princess who made his
baptism a prerequisite. After his baptism, he imposed similar
baptism upon his people. The words of the Chronicle follow.

Vladimir made known throughout his village: "Those who day
after tomorrow do not appear on the bank of the river, rich or
poor, will be considered as rebels and traitors." The day
following Vladimir accompanied by the priests, those of the empress
and those of Kherson, went to the Dnieper, where there was gathered
an innumerable crowd of men who entered into the water, some up
to the neck, others only to the chest. The children stayed on
the bank and were covered with water; some plunged into the river.
Others swam here and there while the priests read their prayers.
And this formed a spectacle tremendously curious and beautiful
to see. At last, when all the people were baptized, each returned
to his home.

THE YEAR 6534 [1026]. Yaroslav after having rebuilt his army approached
Kiev and concluded a peace with his brother Mstislav. They divided
the Russian territory along the Danube river. Yaroslav took the
Western part, and Mstislav the rest. The two princes, reconciled,
then dwelt in peace and brotherly friendship. The civil wars and
internal rebellions were stopped, and the country knew a rebirth
of tranquility.

THE YEAR 6535 [10271. The third son of Yaroslav was born, and
received the name SviatosIav. The year following there was seen
in the sky an extraordinary sign: it was the figure of a serpent,
and this sign was noticed by all the world.

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